Promises to Keep
by doggieearlover
Summary: Naraku is dead. Kagome considers her choices and what she wants for the future as well as how a certain hanyou may be involved. Written for knittingknots, who caught the 23456th page view Kiriban at deviantART.


Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the Kiriban for the 23456th page view at deviantART.

Prompt from knittingknots: _A few days after the death of Naraku, InuYasha and Kagome slip away to discuss things - especially what next for them, one afternoon or evening. _Note: _This fight's about the third week of March and Kagome's HS will start at the beginning of April. This is also probably on her mind._

**Promises to Keep**

Kagome knew she should be happy for her friends, but as she watched the excitement as they worked to build the hut, she felt unbearably sad. Sango was busy chatting with other women from the village as their husbands helped erect the structure. Of course InuYasha was drafted due to his strength, but not without some amount of grumbling about it. He'd said the one good thing was that maybe with a hut, Miroku could confine his groping of his soon-to-be wife to the privacy of his home. Sango still did not approve of such affections in public, even if they were promised to be wed. As it was he was still sporting the remains of a bright red handprint from his last break.

Kagome looked at the others talking animatedly and then at InuYasha up on the roof. He was busy giving directions for getting the roof supports in place and had his back to her. Feeling somewhat left out of all of the activity, the miko sighed and looked at the ground. She wasn't even aware of when her feet had started moving to carry her away from the scene. She found herself following the familiar trail to the Bone Eaters' Well and continued along it until she reached the ancient structure. She leaned on the wooden frame, thinking about jumping in and going home to see her mother. However, she stopped herself. As much as she would like to, she was afraid to return home alone. The thought that the well might close after she'd gone through and that she would never see InuYasha and the others again frightened her more than she could admit, even to herself. She had faced Naraku and defeated him, but she couldn't bear the thought of losing her friends without so much as a word goodbye. Shaking her head, she continued until she reached the sacred tree and then sat at the base of it on the tangle of roots and leaned back against the trunk.

What did she want? She didn't know, and she was so confused. She had passed her junior high school tests and graduated and had even been accepted into high school. However, junior high was the highest level of school that was mandatory, and she did not have to go on to high school or one of the other trade schools available unless she wanted to. She knew her mother would understand if she decided to remain in the past, which felt more of a home to her now than her own era did. But even that depended on a certain Inuhanyou. What about InuYasha? What did he want now that Naraku had been defeated and the jewel was whole again? Did he want a life with her, or was he simply waiting for her to go home so he could move on to something else? He'd promised to protect her always, but what did he really mean? She knew when she promised to stay by his side that she was in love with him, but she was still confused about the half demon's feelings towards her. He had been more gentle with her since the battle, but why? She knew he was still feeling somewhat guilty about injuring her when his youkai had taken over his heart, but she didn't blame him. She knew he could have hurt her far more seriously if he'd really intended to. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the sacred tree behind her.

InuYasha looked around suddenly from his place up on the top of the new hut. "Hey Sango! Where's Kagome?" he yelled down, realizing she was missing and that's what felt wrong to him.

The youkai exterminator was startled out of her conversation and yelled back, "She's right here!"

"Right where?" the irritated hanyou answered. "I don't see any sign of her!"

The workers around them had all stopped as InuYasha agitatedly stood up on the roof support and scanned the area. He'd never admit how much the girl's sudden absence affected him. She might have disappeared to take a pee, and she might have decided to go home without him. He remembered when she had shyly voiced her concerns about going through the well alone. What if she had changed her mind? What if she decided to go ahead and purify the jewel and then go without any warning? Without a second thought, he leaped off of the structure and over the heads of the women below.

He charged along the path and slammed to a halt at the ancient well. He had started to jump in and go after her when he realized that her scent continued along the trail towards another familiar place. More cautious this time, he walked towards the tree where he was certain he would find her.

The hanyou stopped when he reached the clearing and saw Kagome sitting at the base of Goshinboku. Her eyes were closed though there was a trail of tears leaking from the corners. It was with trepidation that he approached her, uncertain as to what was making her so upset. He thought she was happy to be here, that she wanted to be here with him. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she'd just said that to keep from hurting his feelings. Kagome always seemed to think about everyone other than herself. Holding his breath, he sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her.

Kagome had been lost in her thoughts about a certain half-demon when she felt his presence, and then his warm arm wrap around her. Instinctively, she snuggled against him without opening her eyes. She realized he was really there with her, that it wasn't her imagination, when she felt the back of his hand run across her cheek, and his thumb wipe away her tears. She opened her eyes to find concerned amber ones watching her closely. She started to pull away, but felt his grip on her tighten. Sighing, she relaxed back against him.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" InuYasha asked softly. "Why did you run off like that? Don't you know you're still a target as long as you have _that_?"

Her fingers reached up to feel the whole Shikon no Tama that was against her skin, under her shirt. "I… I… didn't think…"

"Stupid wench, you can't be so careless," he muttered, more under his breath. He didn't want to admit how worried he was.

"Do… do you even care… really?" she asked quietly.

"Of course-" the hanyou started, but then cut himself off. How much was he willing to admit to her?

"About the jewel, or me?" she prodded with a new stream of tears starting.

InuYasha sighed and rested his head on top of hers while wrapping his other arm around her. "What do you think?"

"I don't know…" she whispered. "Do you really want me here with you, or would you rather I went home?"

"What do you want?" InuYasha asked, equally as soft. He wondered if she could feel his heart thumping in his chest, terrified that her response would be to leave him forever.

The miko pulled away from him angrily. "Just once, can't you give me a straight answer?"

He looked away from her, his ears pinned to his head. He didn't want her to see the pain on his face and in his eyes. "I want you to be happy, Kagome."

She moved around so that she was in front of him and went to her knees. She looked up and studied his face and was surprised by the anguish that she found etched there. "InuYasha?"

He had closed his eyes when she moved. "What would make you happy, Kagome? What do _you_ want?"

Everything that had been tormenting her went rushing through her mind like a whirlwind. The only constant she had seen in each of the scenarios that made her content was the presence of the man before her. Taking a deep breath, she finally replied, "You."

The hanyou was surprised when he felt her hands wrap around his neck and then her lips gently press to his. It was more of a whisper of things to come, but it made him open his eyes and meet those of the girl in front of him. "Kagome," he said hoarsely before cupping her face and finding her mouth again. He released her before he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms fully around her, drawing her body against his own. "Are you certain? What about your family, your school, your tests?" he said quickly.

Kagome pulled away from him, but only so that she could look up at him again. "Sit with me?"

He nodded and they again found themselves on the tangle of roots at the base of the ancient tree. InuYasha pulled her against his shoulder. She again settled against him, and clasped his free hand between hers in her lap. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"That's what I've been thinking about. I've been so confused with everything here and everything there. I've finished the schooling that I have to have, so it's my choice whether or not I continue. I didn't know what you wanted, though. I know I promised to stay with you, but I wasn't really certain you needed me any more. Then seeing Sango and Miroku getting ready to be married made me sad… I didn't know _what_ I wanted," the miko confessed.

"You're sad that the bouzo and Sango are getting married?" InuYasha asked, confused.

Kagome shook her head against his shoulder. "I'm happy for them, but sad for myself. I felt so lonely and left out watching the preparations. Then I wondered if I was needed here, or even wanted, or if I should just go home. I couldn't stay here if you only saw me as a burden to take care of," she said softly.

"Kagome," he whispered as he wrapped his hand around her fingers. "I want you to stay with me, I want to build you a house, but I didn't want you to stay because you felt obligated to or pity for me. I only wanted what would make you happy. You always think about everyone else before you do yourself. Just once, I wanted you to do what _you_ really want to instead of what others expect you to."

She looked up, her eyes again shining with tears. She hadn't missed a single word he said. "You want me to be your wife?"

InuYasha nodded in return. "It won't be easy though. The people here may accept us, but there are those that won't. We'll have to be careful, at least away from here. Could you handle that?"

"As long as I'm with you, I can handle anything, InuYasha. Will you come home with me, to tell Mama? Then I want you to decide what you want to wish upon the jewel. You were right about one thing, as long as it exists, there will be those that come after it. Once we get back, we need to take care of that, all right?" Kagome said. "Once we get back, you will build me that house and make me your wife."

The hanyou's head was spinning as he tried to process everything she just said. She wanted to be his wife, and she wanted him to make the wish on the Shikon no Tama. "You… you… you _want_ to be my wife? And you want _me_ to make the wish?"

"_Nothing_ would make me happier than to marry you, InuYasha. And the more I've thought about the Shikon no Tama and what Jii-chan has told me, the more I've realized that neither human nor youkai can probably make the _right_ wish. I don't think one of the Kami is going to show up to do it, so that leaves a hanyou – one who is neither and both. After everything you've been through, everything you've suffered through, I believe that the right one to make that wish is _you_. So let's go home and see my family, and then come back and prepare to start our life together." Kagome kissed him softly.

"Together?" he questioned.

"Together," she confirmed.

"You're certain?" he asked.

"You're not going to make me change my mind, InuYasha, and I'm not letting you get out of your promise." She couldn't help but to giggle - he looked so cute when he was confused. "Remember your promise to protect me aways? I'm holding you to it, just as I'll keep mine to stay by your side."

He surprised her when he folded her into his arms and crushed her against him, and then just held her. Comprehension slowly sunk in as she pressed her head to his chest and could hear his pounding heart. "Forever?" she heard.

"Forever. But, InuYasha, forever won't last very long if you squash me."

He loosened his hold on her and looked down to see her smiling gently. "Thank you, Kagome."

"The sooner we go through the well, the sooner we can get back," she suggested.

"Kagome… I… I…"

"I know, InuYasha. I love you, too."

_finis_


End file.
